Words Left Unspoken
by Chrissiemusa
Summary: She was his guiding light through the darkness; his savior in times of need, his strength in times of weakness and his reason for fighting the shadows. Riven attempts the most dangerous mission of them all, trying to mend the past with words left unspoken.


A/N: Quick one-shot while overcoming writers block for some of my other fics. I do not own the TV series (Nickelodeon/Iginio Straffi) or lyrics/song I Will Never Love Again by Bogdan Vix & Renee Stahl, all rights belong to their owners.

Let me know if I should write more one-shot fan-fiction.

* * *

 **Words Left Unspoken**

Riven had accomplished a lot in four years. He had officially left the confines of Magix and entered the magical dimension, fighting for the rights of others and realizing exactly who he was meant to be and what he was meant to do. He had joined the Scouts, an elite team of undercover operatives who worked in the shadows to hunt, locate and track some of the dimensions worst criminals.

He stopped planned attacks on peace, received awards for valor and bravery in the field but there was still something missing in his life. While fighting against the darkness in the line of duty, he still grappled with the darkness that had been planted inside his own heart. Since he was a boy he knew that he would always struggle with shadows. Nothing was ever as simple as it seemed and his life would never be easy.

Already inside his short career he had been tempted in more ways than one to defy the oath that he swore to protect others. But the one thing that made him struggle the most was missing, a light deep inside his very soul that was no longer there and that hadn't been there for the last four years of his life.

Musa.

She was his guiding light through the darkness; his savor in times of need, his strength in times of weakness and his reason for fighting the shadows. Since their break up on that fateful day before the gates of Alfea, Riven had never regretted anything. He walked away from his friends and from his love without a second glance and never looked back. But now, sitting inside his hotel room, staring at the world below with its tall buildings and bright lights, he couldn't help but think of her.

He couldn't understand why things were this way. Musa was already a celebrity superstar, her name spoken by thousands inside their homes on a daily basis. Her songs played over the radio, her voice taunting him each time he entered a club, bar or just turned on the TV. He didn't know why he felt this way. He couldn't explain the pain that hit his chest each time he saw her face in the morning papers, why his head hurt with each note she sang. He had been the one to end the relationship, to find himself and his true purpose. Now he had found it, did that mean that he was destined to return to her?

'And in other news, celebrity singing superstar Musa of Melody will be touring with her band. Their first show is tonight at Alfea in Magix as part of a tribute concert for the late principal Faragonda who passed away twelve months ago.' Riven's head turned at the late night news announcement, eyes wider than usual. Something pulled at his heart strings telling him that perhaps this was his chance, to make things right, to repair the damage that had been caused. Musa might have wished him well the day that he walked away but did she feel the same way? Did she feel that there were words left unsaid?

Riven reached for his phone, dialing his work number. They had a reconnaissance mission due to begin late that night and he needed to get out of it to attend. "Hey, Mike its Riven."

"Hey, Riv, whats up?" came the reply.

"I can't do that mission tomorrow night, can you take me off the team?"

"What's in it for me if I do you a favour?"

"I'll do all your night shifts for a week." Riven answered, knowing that Michael was not the type of guy to lend you a hand without something in return.

"Make it two and we've got a deal."

"Deal."

"Why can't you go anyway?" Michael asked. "You usually never miss reconnaissance."

"I need to put something right."

* * *

Alfea school for fairies hadn't been the same since Faragonda died. She passed from this world into whatever lay beyond the veil of death twelve months ago. A new threat entered the realm of Magix and ended her life in the name of dimension wide destruction. The tragedy brought the entire magical dimension together but, sadly, it still hadn't fully recovered. Scars still marked the building and with Griselda at the head of the school, things just didn't have the same feel to them anymore.

Riven walked down the main street of Magix. Businesses were shut for the tribute concert as a show of respect. Most people were at the center of town paying their respects. Riven lingered at the back of the crowd, finding it difficult to look up at the statue of a woman that so many remembered for her bravery and for her spirit. He saw the unmistakable sight of Bloom, a toddler with the same fiery red hair against her hip, as she bent down to place a wreath of flowers on behalf of the Erakleon government. Sky stood closely behind, giving her comfort in her hour of need. Her parents might have been found but it was really Faragonda that had helped Bloom see her true potential.

The other fairies and specialists were amongst the crowd as well, Stella and Brandon, newly weds, representing Solaria towards the front with Flora and Helia towards the back. Riven carefully side stepped to avoid their gaze in the hope of them not seeing him. The last thing he wanted was for the others to drown him with friendship. Severing ties with Musa meant that he became very distant towards the others. He wasn't sure how they would react to seeing him after disappearing for the past four years. The nature of his job meant that he was not allowed to contact others outside of his guild when on missions and that was most of the time. Until tonight, his one moment to speak the words that he wished he did that day.

Stepping further into the crowd to avoid Tecna and Timmy on the other side with their two children was when he saw her. Standing directly underneath the statue, flute between her fingers, her notes travelling through the crowd to soothe the lost and grieving souls. He stopped and stared. She had hardly changed a bit since they last saw each other. Her hair and skin were just as radiant as ever. Her eyes filled with hope even during moments of great despair. Mentally he yelled at his heart to stop its ferocious beating and his feet to stop from wanting to run towards her. Fighting against all the impulses his body was telling him to follow, he pivoted on his heel and walked away. Now was not the right time.

Darkness descended onto the world below, the moon the main source of light in a sky covered with clouds. Slowly Riven followed the crowds towards Alfea, children skipped along on their way, couples walked hand in hand. His empty hand held nothing but air where her fingers should have been. Passing a nearby alleyway, he felt a hand grab his wrist and pull him into the darkness. Instantly his fist flew towards the face of who grabbed him and he landed a solid thud to their jaw.

Helia fell into the light making Riven quickly apologize. "Helia, I'm sorry." Typical with his pacifist nature, he simply wrapped his arms around the spiky haired Scout, making every muscle inside his body stiffen. Helia leant backwards. "All good, I guess I shouldn't have scared you like that, but how else are we supposed to talk to you?"

"We?" Riven asked as Sky, Brandon, Timmy and Nabu appeared out of the shadows. Each of them smiled before offering hand shakes and hugs.

"How have you been, bro?" Brandon asked. "Helia told us he saw you were in town so we had to try and catch up. What's it been, like, four years?"

"Yeah."

"Time flies when you are having fun," Nabu smiled but Riven's face held no such happiness. Riven didn't offer an explanation but the group quieted, knowing that Riven wasn't the kind of person who responded well to questioning.

"Why are you here?" Sky asked, making the others look to him. "What? It's a relevant question! You break up with Musa and leave us, we tell you that you can call any time and you don't, then you show up four years later in Magix!? Why show up now? And don't tell us it's because you missed us because I know that's not the case."

"I don't know," Riven answered honestly. "And I do miss you guys…sometimes." They all chuckled.

"But really Riven, there should be a logical reason for why you would return?" Timmy asked, adjusting his glasses.

"It's Musa, isn't it?" Helia asked softly. Riven just nodded, a sign escaping from his throat as tears began forming in his eyes. "The last four years have been good, great even. I've got a job that I love, I know who I am and what I am supposed to do with my life but something is missing. It's like I'm a puzzle with the last piece missing. I feel incomplete - unfinished." He paused. "It's driving me insane! I feel like I'm going crazy. Every time I see her I physically ache, my head has no idea what to do but-"

"Your heart is trying to guide you but you are fighting against it," Helia spoke. "Riven, I think the solution is simple. Go talk to her."

"But what do I say?"

"Don't think about it." Sky offered. "Let your heart do the talking for you."

* * *

The concert was a huge success. Musa had nailed every one of her hits and had the crowd on their feet and dancing. Riven, however, sat in the stands simply mesmerised by her abilities. His friends had offered some wise advice and as the crowds left the arena he knew that his time was coming.

The band packed everything away, the crowds finished leaving Alfea and as Sky and the others left they wished him the best of luck. He waited patiently for her to leave the school, so he could say his peace. Perhaps saying the words that had lingered on his lips for so many years would be enough. As she approached he stepped forwards until they were both bathed with moonlight.

"Musa," he spoke nervously, even saying her name was difficult. Her name now held so much meaning. She wasn't the girl that he knew at school any longer. She was an international best selling artist, an icon to millions; maybe she wouldn't even give him the time of day.

"Riven?" She questioned, walking faster to see him face to face. "Hi."

"Hi," he replied, short answers seemed to be the way to go. "How are you?"

"Good," she answered with a smile, "what about you? I haven't heard from you for ages."

"I know and I'm sorry. Things have been busy but good."

"I'm glad." Her eyes dazzled in the light and Riven's mouth opened several times as he tried to find the next words to speak. "I'm sorry, but I have to keep moving." Musa interrupted. "The band is meeting at the hotel for a little house party before we get some shuteye and get back on the road. It's been good seeing you again."

"You too," Riven replied as she stepped past him, placing a hand against his shoulder as she passed. He heard her footsteps disappearing into the distance, their echoes growing softer. The place where she touched him on the shoulder burned with a sensation he had never felt before. He gritted his teeth, took in a deep breath and decided that if he ever wanted to feel whole again he only had one option. He turned, and with the loudest voice he could muster he spoke. "I still love you!"

Musa stopped dead in her tracks. She blinked a few times to let his words sink in before she turned, tears sliding down her cheeks. "Riven, I can't do this again."

"You were the best thing that ever happened to me," He spoke, his own eyes filling with salty tears. "I'm sorry that it's taken this long for me to realize it."

"And don't you think that four years is a bit too late!" Musa yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you Riven, you're always doing this! You're always deciding when you want things to work out and when they won't! Your mind is like a yoyo, constantly going up and down without giving any reason about why!"

"You are the best thing in my life! My life is incomplete without you! I've learned about myself, I've learned about my temper and my anger and I've learned to control my impulses more and more since I left."

"Exactly, you left me, not the other way around!" A glint of moonlight hit Musa's tears, making them shine like diamonds as the two rivers met her chin and then fell to the grass below. "I waited for you to come back. I waited for you to find what you were looking for and then realized that you weren't looking for me. You broke up with me. You told me that we were never supposed to be together, that things just would never work out between us and I went along with it because I wanted you to be happy!" she paused. "I waited for you and you didn't come back. So I moved on with my life, just like you did."

Riven stepped closer but Musa's feet slipped back. "Musa. It's been killing me ever since it happened. I finally found my purpose in life but it feels cold and empty without you. Nothing feels the same. My achievements mean nothing because I can't share them with you. My job means nothing because I am not protecting you. My life is miserable without you and I have never stopped loving you."

"Then why come back now?" Musa asked. "You said that we would never work out, that our relationship was doomed for disaster since the very beginning." Riven was speechless. "See no response. You don't love me, you love the idea of me. You love the idea of someone who will listen to your every word, who will comfort you when you are sad, who will keep on coming back to you even if you are the one who steps away. I promised to never be that person again!"

"I never felt worthy," he whispered softly, a light breeze filling the space between them. His eyes looked at the ground below, his head hanging low. "You were always there for me but I was never there for you. You deserved better than me. You deserved better than some street rat who had to learn to fight to survive and put food on the table. You deserved better than someone who was never taught how to love or treat someone well because they were never shown how. You deserved better than me so I let you go. I let you go to find someone else who was more worthy to be with you. Someone who knew how to love and cherish you for the person that you were, not someone who could barely understand the concept of love let alone try to show it to someone else."

Musa stepped forwards until she was before him. Her fingers found Riven's chin and she tilted it upwards to see the tears flowing down his cheeks. His shoulders shook, his hands quivered but he didn't move away from her touch. "You deserve love too, Riven." She whispered, placing a hand against his cheek. He leant into the touch, placing a hand around hers and savoring the moment while it lasted.

Musa placed her lips against Riven's and his eyes closed, his heart soaring at the contact. The kiss may have lasted only seconds, but Riven could already feel something inside his soul changing. The darkness began to lift. The years of loneliness were being erased. The hole in his life began to fill. It was then that he tasted salt on his tongue, the salt of her very own tears as they melted the wall she had built around her own heart.

Musa's soft lips parted from his, making his eyes slowly open to see hers filled with the familiar tears of loneliness, the ones that he too cried each night - as he lay awake and alone in the dark. "I never stopped loving you either," she admitted making Riven move in for a second long kiss. His arms held her body against his own as she felt his broad shoulders, the ones that had supported her many a time before. Musa's perfume filled his senses as he broke the kiss and held her tighter that he ever had in living memory.

"I wrote a song after you left," Musa whispered, a smile pulling on her lips as she looked deeply into Riven's eyes once more.

Why

Why my spirit lie

Always cast aside

Left alone and lonely

Time

Watching love decay

Flash and fade away

I know you want to show me

So

Why must darkness fade

On every broken street

The answer is will ever

So

As the winter comes

Please be near me now

Aching for forever

You're the best thing I

You're the best thing I found

Forever

I will never love again

Forever

I will never love again

Riven listened as Musa smiled, changing the last line of a song and of their future. "I will love again."

 **THE END**


End file.
